Our 50th recipe! When did that happen?!? Aside from marking that wonderful milestone, this post is a bit of a departure from our normal division of duties. Normally, Kyle researches, prepares, and photographs the recipes for the blog, providing me with any pertinent notes that I’ll need for studying the original recipes (where applicable) and techniques, then composing and formatting each post, as well as managing our social media content. When I saw his notes for this entry, I got the giggles because Short Ribs sit squarely atop his list of favorite comfort foods—seriously, they’re “Last Meal on Earth” level in his eyes—so he had a lot to say (hence the length of this post). That being said, I’m more of an editor for this post than a writer. One of the things that he loves most about short ribs is that they incorporate minimal hands-on prep, a practically foolproof low-and-slow cooking method, and they manage somehow to taste even better the day after they’re cooked, thus making them the perfect make-ahead main course for dinner, entertaining and special occasions. What’s not to love about that?
When he saw a recipe for Dijon Braised Short Ribs in a cookbook from the late, lamented Gourmet Today magazine (moment of silence…RIP), he was astonished by its minimal list of ingredients. Five. Not counting the salt and pepper, FIVE ingredients. Despite being based on a recipe by the great Daniel Boulud, he couldn’t fathom how such a minimalist recipe could produce a finished dish that embodied the rich, deeply developed flavors of his beloved short ribs.
After a few deep breaths into a paper bag, the questions started. Where were the fresh herbs of the bouquet garni? Breathe. How can mere shallots replace the traditional mirepoix of carrots, celery and onions?! Breathe. Where’s the BEEF STOCK?!? He was absolutely certain that something would be lacking in the finished dish. After he composed himself, he remembered the sublime results of the ultra stripped-down Cauliflower Soup recipe. With that, he decided to embrace both the simplicity of the recipe, and the notion of letting the few essential flavors of the dish shine through without the clutter of an over-complicated ingredient list. (He’s seriously considering adopting this simplicity as his New Year’s resolution, btw.)
That aside, he did have to make a few tweaks to the recipe (he is only human, after all), but they were mostly based on seasonal availability (using tomato paste in place of the fresh tomatoes), and balancing the flavors (incorporating dark brown sugar to counter the acidity of the dijon and the tomato paste). There was, of course, the ever-present desire to “tinker” with the essence of any recipe, and in that vein he did add mushrooms and garlic to the shallots in order to broaden the flavor base of the braising liquid.
While the lack of beef stock—generally the low volume of liquid in a braising dish (Hello?!?)—gave him pause, he figured Mr. Boulud knows a thing or two about cooking and decided to trust his recipe. This was a huge leap of faith for him as a chef, particularly regarding such a beloved dish.
The liquid barely covers half of the short ribs, so in his mind something was bound to go wrong, potentially resulting in dry, overcooked meat instead of the luscious, fork-tender short ribs that are so near and dear to his heart. To his very pleasant surprise, the short ribs infused the braising liquid with their rich, meaty flavor. The resulting sauce had all of the deep, developed layers of flavor he was accustomed to, and tasted like it had been cooking down for a few days rather than a few hours, and the meat was achingly tender, despite the dearth of braising liquid. They were wondrous and magical.
He served them over a bed of the Ultra Creamy Polenta, and after the last bite, he could have died happy. Take that as an expert opinion, because the man knows his short ribs. Additionally, a half batch is pictured here, so obviously, if you follow the recipe you’ll get more, which is the only “more is better” element to this post. Give them a try and let us know what you think. Enjoy!
Adapted from Gourmet Today.
- 4 lb beef short ribs (also called flanken)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 shallots (10 ounces), trimmed, sliced in half
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced in half
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 (750 mL) bottle dry red wine
- Pat ribs dry and season well with salt and pepper.
- Heat a dry 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot, then brown ribs well in on all sides (working in batches) about 8 minutes for each batch. Transfer browned ribs with tongs to a bowl.
- Reduce heat to moderate and brown shallots well in fat remaining in pot, stirring. Add garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to another bowl.
- Add mushrooms to pot and brown, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to bowl with shallots and garlic.
- Stir mustard, tomato paste, and brown sugar into the pot. Add wine and reduce by half. Add ribs and simmer, covered, 1¾ hours.
- Gently stir in shallots, garlic and mushrooms and continue to simmer, covered, without stirring, until meat is very tender, about 40 minutes.
- Carefully transfer ribs, shallots, and mushrooms to a platter and skim off any fat from cooking liquid. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste and pour over ribs.
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